


party favor

by things-we-used-tc-share (Heavydirtys0ul)



Series: the billie eilish tapes [20]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: M/M, abuse tw, emotional abuse tw
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-08-31
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:00:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26212288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heavydirtys0ul/pseuds/things-we-used-tc-share
Summary: Remus and Janus worry about Roman, who is in a relationship with a less than favourable person.
Relationships: Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Original Male Character(s), Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders/Deceit | Janus Sanders
Series: the billie eilish tapes [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1281875
Comments: 4
Kudos: 24





	party favor

Sometimes, Roman feels more like a decoration than a person. His brother had said so many times to him “You shouldn’t let him treat you like that, if it were me, I’d kick his ass,” but Remus had always had more of a footing in his sense of self-preservation than Roman had, so no matter what the advice is given, Roman finds himself unable to take it. 

Which his brother, understandably hates. 

Still, they’d both been invited to Roman’s boyfriend’s birthday party, along with Remus’ boyfriend, Janus, who looks ready to leave before they’d even got there. He isn’t sure if they came along for the birthday boy in question, or for him if he’s honest, but he should’ve known it would spell trouble in the end. 

Roman’s boyfriend is, sometimes, quite sweet; he’s tall, he’s a jock, he’s the sort of man who could knock you out in the space of a few minutes in a fight, so Roman is not exactly keen to ever start one. To be honest, despite the fact that he loves his boyfriend he isn’t exactly sure why he does. He spends most of his life standing there, looking pretty like a trophy wife, to be seen and not really heard. He supposes that’s what he gets for winding up with a conservative man despite his sexuality. 

Remus and Janus look wildly out of place in this house (Janus, at least, had chosen jeans without holes in and a nice button-down black shirt, Remus, however, hadn’t bothered considering to dress up and was just stealing shrimp off a platter). The moment they all arrive they get strange looks, Roman less so because he was actually gifted an outfit (which is a very nice way of saying he isn’t allowed to choose his own clothes); but this stiff upper-class setting felt so uncomfortable for all three of them, well two of them, Remus didn’t really care for people’s opinions of him as he shovels food into his mouth and raises his eyebrows in a ‘try me, I dare you’ expression at onlookers. 

“Roman!” The young man, Roman’s partner, approaches him with wide arms, pressing a kiss to either of his heels before wrapping an arm around his waist. The redhead can’t really help the way he tenses but smiles politely nevertheless. “Remus, Janus, always a pleasure.” Remus opens his mouth to speak, but his boyfriend elbows him sharply in the side, resulting in his face falling a little. 

“And you,” Janus shakes the man’s hand on behalf of himself and Remus, side-eying his partner as he does so. The last thing either of them needs to do is cause Roman any trouble. 

“Come, I’ll introduce you to some people,” Roman had already met most of the people here multiple times, preparing himself to smile politely and feel mostly exhausted. They were lead to a group of people “These are my cousins…” Roman zones out and just smiles as introductions are made feeling like his insides are as glassy-eyed as his expression is. “...I apologise for Roman’s brother, he has a habit of dressing like he’s homeless.” He heard that, however, and his attention snaps a little, stiffening as he glances over at Remus, Janus grabs his partner’s hand as everyone around him notes the way his back straightens like he’s about to throw a punch. “Calm down Remus, it’s just a little joke.” 

“Re, calm down,” the blond mutters to his boyfriend calmly “remember we’re here to look after Roman.” the dark-haired man pauses, seemingly calming down as his eyes close briefly before he relaxes and smiles pleasantly. 

“You know, you can get away with gaslighting my brother because he’s the softest-hearted person you’ll ever meet, but if you’ve got a problem we can sort it outside like men.” Janus curses under his breath, shaking his head. He’s got to know he’ll get his ass handed too him. Roman’s eyes look over at his brother, shaking his head, he knows his boyfriend’s temper may seem cool and collected, but he can be terrifying when angry and the last thing he needs is to be taking Remus to hospital. 

“Enough, both of you,” he mutters, turning his gaze from them to their company, he’s forgotten their names “boys will be boys,” he smiles politely, the group of girls laugh in agreement and begin to talk about their husbands, leaving everyone else to relax at the diversion, Janus grabs Remus by the collar and drags him away, muttering to the other frantically about his temper. “Sorry,” Roman apologises, the man smiles and squeezes his hip, he winces in retaliation but nobody seems to notice. 

The evening progresses otherwise without a hitch, although Roman feels like he never wants to be seen again with all the eyes that have been watching his silence today. He should feel fine, he should feel comfortable, his partner has never hurt him in any way, he’s sure of this, but Remus’ words still float around his head. 

Roman and Remus did not always have the best of relationships, as teenagers they fought very often but that was more their parents need to pit them against each other. Nevertheless, Remus has never really hurt Roman, he has always been the first person by his side in a crisis and all competition they had frozen when the matter becomes serious. When Remus started dating Janus in his late teens he became much calmer too, and Roman had never seen the other man as less than an extension of his own family so he knows that the blond-haired man would never give him a warning if it was a lie. He also knows that Janus is a lot more perceptive than both of them. Still, he doesn’t feel abused, there are no bruises on his body even though he jumps at the sound of a slamming door. 

The evening is starting to draw to a close, many people are filing out the door with well-wishes and happy birthday’s being spoken. There are few people left, chattering amongst each other and preparing to leave in the late night in their fancy cars and clothes. It’s all a dress-up, dolls in their little cardboard house. Is that what I am? Roman thinks to himself, a doll? A party favour? 

He finds Remus and Janus leaning on each other and munching on tiny sandwiches by the table, as he approaches Remus looks up and catches his eyes; there must have been something on his face because his brother springs to his feet and asks hurriedly if he’s okay. “What happened?” Roman does not understand, nothing out of the ordinary has happened, he’s just tired, so he states as such, but then he meets Janus’ eyes and finds not worry, or pity in his eyes, just a slow, exhausted fear as he witnesses a history that isn’t Roman’s repeat right before his eyes. 

The silence that followed is interrupted by Roman’s partner, the large man approaching to wrap his arms around Roman’s waist and press a kiss to his neck. The other seems embarrassed by this, but does not argue, simply accepting it “Stay the night?” the man asks, and he wants to say no, he wants to go home and sleep and rest. This night has been so draining and he wants it over with. 

“I...need to get home,” he finally speaks, the other two say nothing and try not to stare, Remus especially seems to look uncomfortable by the way the other man’s hands grip his brother’s hips like he’s some sort of prize that can’t be let go of. An object of fascination and nothing less. 

“I’m sure whatever it is can wait.” A kiss to his shoulder this time, Roman knows what he wants, and he doesn’t want to give it, he’s not in the mood at all. “Come on, it’s my birthday, don’t you want to make me happy?” Remus’ hand clench into a fist by his side and Janus has to take a deep breath. 

“I...I do, I just...I’m not in the mood, I need to go home,” 

The man tuts a little. “Roman come on I’ve been looking forward to it all night.” Roman squirms and pulls away from the other man, shaking his head. “There’s no need to get pissy, I’m just asking.”

“No you’re not,” Janus cuts in. “You’re not asking at all, he’s said no twice,” 

“Keep your nose out of my business, street rat,” Remus growls a little but again, the blond rests a hand on his partner’s arm to calm him, Roman wonders how such a simple touch can still someone and relax them, whenever he’s touched he just feels scared. “You’re not even family, I invited you on Roman’s wishes alone.” 

“He is my family,” Roman muttered softly, his voice shaking “Janus is as much a brother to me as Remus is.” 

“What, now you’re ganging up on me too?” 

The blond rolls his eyes and sighs. “You are like a child,” it’s a simple enough statement, and he looks Roman’s partner in the eyes dead-on as he speaks it. “All Roman has done is be kind to you, he doesn’t have a bone in his body capable of selfishness and you know that, so you manipulate it, you change it to your will, you make him into an object to be seen without personality, without the ability to speak and think for himself, you make him scared of you and you bully him into doing things he doesn’t want to do by making him feel bad.” He shakes his head. “On one hand, I pity you because this must be what you have been taught love is, on another I despise you, you are the most sinister form of abuser there is, one who makes the abused question whether they’re in pain, who second-guesses the person that they are, and you are...by the way...an abusive piece of shit.” 

Roman squeaks a little, his hand coming up to cover his mouth. “We should go,” he mutters hurriedly, really not wanting this to end in a fight, but the words have barely left his mouth before his partner is swinging at Janus. The other takes the hit, he flinches as the punch lands his cheek, but otherwise does not move. Remus snarls like a wild animal, placing himself as a blockade between his lover and the other, bigger, taller man, almost fearlessly. 

Roman grabs his boyfriend’s wrist before he punches again. “Stop it! Enough!” It hurts his wrist to block the force but he isn’t really in any more or less pain than he has been for the last year. “I’m going to walk out.” He whispers. “And I don’t want to come back.” His voice cracks. “Don’t you ever hit either of my brothers again.” He steps back, and that’s that. Any words that leave the other man’s mouth are just static as he turns and walks away, his legs shaking and his eyes watering but refusing to crack. Janus refuses to touch the bruise that’s forming on his cheek, his pride interfering with how much he really wants to cradle it. 

“That’s going to look hot, though,” Remus mutters after a few minutes of silence, gesturing to the red swelling over his boyfriend’s cheekbones. The other two laugh in a way that suggests they probably shouldn’t, and he smiles. “Roman’s choosing the cheesy chick flick we’re watching tonight.” 

Despite it all, despite what he’d endured and despite what he’s yet to recover from, Roman is certainly glad he doesn’t have to do it alone. 


End file.
